The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-03
OUR LONDON LETTER.
OPENING OF THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION.
THE QUEENS VISIT TO THE "wlLD WEST"
LONDON, May, 14th, 1887

THE QUEENS VISIT TO THE wild WEST.
LONDON, May, l4th, 1887
The event of the week has been the
opening of the much-talked of Ameri.
can Exhibition, which occurred on
Monday last. Invitations had been
sent to all the nobility, including the
members of several clubs, amongst
them the Savage" the Press and Gar.
rick, the members of the House Of
Lords and the House of Commons, the
members of the Council of Welcome
and all the prominent Americans in
London to the number of nearly 49,
600. No admission was given under a
guinea, and notwithst anding this the
turnstiles registered the admission Of
nearly 10000 people.
The time of beginning the exercises
was set for $50, and for nearly two
hours before that time all the omnibus
es and underground railway trains
were packed with fashionable well
dressed and good natured people strug.
Cling for places--the cab ranks in the
West End were entirely deserted-the
private carriages completely blocked
every street leading to the Lille Road
and for some distance each side the
main entrance. At 2 o'clock two hun
dred members of the press sat down to
luncheon in the room of the Art Gal
lery. Mr.. John Gilmer Speed, an old
Journalist and Secretary of the exhi-
bition, presided and amongst the Com
pany was George Augustus Sala,
Lewis ]. Jennings, the correspondents
of the American newspapers, and a
representative of every important paper
in Great Britain. The lunch was quite
informal, with the exception of the
fact that the Chairman spoke a few
words of welcome, and Mr.. Townsend
Percy, on behalf of the Executive
Council and himself personally, in a
brief and pointed speech expressed his
thanks to the gentlemen present for
kindness, courtesy and hospitality with
which the American Exhibition had
been treated by the English press. At
$50 o'clock promptly, the members of
the Executive Council and of the Ex-
ecutive Staff assembled on the plat
form erected outside of the main en-
trance to the Art Gallery, fronting the
bridge leading to the Wild West and
the open spaces in the vicinity, which
afforded sitting and standing room to a
mass of people. The sight, as smerg-
ed on the platform, was a most extra
ordinary one. 1t was fine day and
the bright colors of the ladies' toilets
made the enormous gallery look like a
boundless parterre of flowers. 1t was
literally sea of heads, and the sub
dued hum of conversation, which never
was still during any part of the cere-
mones, was like the distant roar of the
sea. To the left of the platform was
stationed Dan Godfrey and the band
of the Grenadier Guards, who opened
the ceremonies by playing "Yankee
Doodle )" then the Very Rev. Canon
Farrar, Archdeacon of Westminster,
who was selected not only on account
of his eminence in his profession, but
on account of his Partially for Ameri-
ca and Americans, proceeded to ask a
blessing upon the enterprise about to
be inaugurated Lord Ronald Cover,
brother to the Duke of Sutherland,
then delivered brief address of well
come on behalf of the Council of En-.
glishmen formed to give practical ex-
preston to their hospitable desires to-
wards the American guests. This was
replied to by Colonel Henry Russell,
President of the Exhibition, and he
was followed by Mr.. John Robinson
Whitley, Director General, in an ad-
dress in which he detailed the history
of the enterprise. In the intervals
during these speeches the band played
yankee Doodle" and "Dixey.'
Madame Nordica electrified the audi
ence by her rendering of the "Star
Spangled Banner" and "Rule Britain
nia;" in fact, it was remarkable the
ease with which, when she took her top
notes, she flied the enormous structure
known as the main building.
Colonel Russell then in few words
declared the Exhibition open. 1t had
been arranged that be should start the
machinery which had been attached to
the shafting at the lower part of the
building, the huge engine brought
from America being in perfect order ;
but at the last moment the boilers, the
contract for which had been given to
an English firm, broke down, and it
was only by word, aud not by deed,
that the opening was accomplished.
AS soon as the exercises were over the
crowd surged across the bridge leading
to the grand stand of the Wild West /;
this enormous structure has a seating
capacity of over 10000 persons and
standing for half as many more, and
the whole place was densely packed.
To attempt to tell you who was there
would be an impossibility, almost as
much so as to tell you who was not
there. All the beauty of brains, title,
money and position that London could
furnish were distributed over the vast
amphitheatre.
l am quite sure that no one that was
present will ever forget the roar of ap
plause which broke from a surprised
multitude when, from behind the am
busoade of rocks, Buffalo Bill, followed
by the Indians and Cowboys, swept
like wbirlwind d around the track. 1t
was hard to say which had the best of
it, the yelling Indians, the whooping
Cowboys, or the applauding multitude
of spectators. The performance is too
well known IN America for me to dilate
upon it. 1t need only be said that the
enthusiasm steadily Increased from
start to finish. In the evening the illu,
minated gardens, which are very ex-
tansiva and charpa;no wara thrnnaad